Uttarakhand helicopter Crash: All six on board killed near Joshimath, rescue teams recover bodies

All six people on board a helicopter returning from Badrinath were killed after the aircraft crashed near Joshimath in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Friday. The helicopter, operated by Trans Bharat Aviation, was initially reported missing before authorities confirmed the crash and launched a search and rescue operation.

The aircraft was carrying five passengers and a pilot on its journey from Badrinath to Dehradun. The bodies of all six occupants were subsequently recovered, officials said.

Helicopter lost contact over Joshimath valley

According to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), the helicopter, bearing registration number VT-HCX, took off from Badrinath at around 1.14 pm on Friday.

The aircraft was heading towards Sahastradhara in Dehradun when it lost communication while flying over the Joshimath valley. Its location could no longer be traced through the tracking system.

The helicopter was last reported near the Hathi Parvat area, opposite Joshimath. The incident triggered an emergency response, with search teams dispatched to locate the aircraft and its occupants.

Smoke spotted near Chaien village

The Chamoli district administration launched a search operation after receiving information about the missing helicopter.

Smoke was later spotted rising near Chaien village in Joshimath, raising suspicions that the aircraft had crashed in the area.

Teams from the district administration, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Army, police and the health department were mobilised for the operation. Additional helicopters were also deployed to assist in the aerial search.

The rescue operation was carried out amid adverse weather conditions, including snowfall, rainfall and low cloud cover, which affected visibility in the region.

Six people identified

The helicopter was carrying five passengers and a pilot. According to UCADA, the occupants were identified as: Prathapa, Arun, Shankar Gowda, Sudheer K, HS Natraja and Captain Himanshu, the pilot. All six were reported dead following the crash.

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami monitors rescue operation

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed the crash near Chaien village, close to Joshimath, and said a joint rescue operation was under way.

In a post on X, Dhami said the district administration, disaster management department and SDRF were conducting the operation.

He added that he was continuously monitoring the situation and had directed officials to airlift any seriously injured passengers to higher medical centres for treatment.

The Chief Minister also expressed hope for the safe return of those on board.

Trans Bharat Aviation fleet grounded

Following the incident, the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority said the entire fleet of Trans Bharat Aviation Pvt Ltd had been grounded as a precautionary measure.

The crash comes amid concerns over helicopter operations in Uttarakhand’s mountainous terrain, particularly during adverse weather conditions.

In June last year, seven people were killed when a helicopter travelling from Kedarnath temple to Guptkashi crashed in a forest.